ture,) and of 30 horse-archers, with 300 talents, that is, 300,000 French crowns. Nicias now began to prepare for action. He was accused of often letting slip opportunities, by his losing time in deliberating, arguing, and concerting measures; however, when once he entered upon action, he was as bold and vigorous in execution, as he before had been slow and timorous in undertaking, as he showed on the present occasion. The Syracusans hearing that the Athenians had received a reinforcement of cavalry, and would soon march and lay siege to the city; and knowing they could not possibly approach it, or make a contravallation, unless they should possess themselves of the heights of Epipolæ, which commanded Syracuse, they resolved to guard the avenue to it, which was the only pass by which the enemy could get up to it, every other part being rugged and inaccessible. Marching therefore down into the meadow, bordered by the river Anapus, and reviewing their troops there, they appointed 700 foot, under the command of Diomilus, to guard that important post; with orders to repair to it, at the first signal which should be given for that purpose. But Nicias conducted his design with so much prudence, expedition, and secrecy, that they had not time to do this. He sailed from Čatana with all his fleet, without the enemy's having the least suspicion of his design. Being arrived at the port of Trogilus, near Leontium, which is but a quarter of a league (six or seven furlongs) from Epipolæ, he put his land forces on shore, after which he retired with his fleet to Thapsus, a small peninsula near Syracuse, the entrance to which he shut up with a staccado. The land forces marched with the utmost expedition to seize on Epipolæ, by the pass of Euryelus, before the enemy who were in the plains of Anapus, at above a league's distance, had the least notice of their arrival. At the first news of this, the 700 soldiers, under the command of Diomilus, advanced forward in confusion, but were easily defeated, and 300 of them with their leader, left dead in the field. The Athenians, after setting up a trophy, built a fort in Labdalon, on the summit of Epipolæ, in order to secure their baggage and most valuable effects in it, whenever they should be forced to fight, or work at the contravallation. Soon after, the inhabitants of Egesta sent the Athenians 300 horse, to which some of their Sicilian allies added 100 more, which, with the 250 sent before by the Athenians, and who had furnished themselves with horses in Sicily, made a body of 650 horse. The plan laid down by Nicias for taking Syracuse, was, to surround all the city on the land side with a strong contravallation, in order to cut off all communication with the place from without, in hopes, no doubt, that his fleet would afterwards enable him to prevent the Syracusans from receiving any succour or provisions by sea. Having left a garrison in Labdalon, he came down from the hill, advanced towards the northern extremity of Tyche, and halting there, he employed the whole army in throwing up a line of contravallation, to shut up the city northward from Tyche as far as Trogilus, situate on the sea-side. This work was carried on with such a rapidity, as terrified the Syracusans. They thought it absolutely necessary to prevent the carry ing on of this work, and accordingly made some sallies and attacks, but always with disadvantage, and even their cavalry was routed. The day after the action, the contravallation (northward) was continued by part of the army, during which the rest carried stones and other materials towards Trogilus, in order to finish it. The besieged, by the advice of Hermocrates, thought it advisable not to venture a second battle with the Athenians; and only endeavoured to put a stop to their works, or at least to render them useless, by About 67,000 sterling. raising a wall to cut the line of that carried on by the Athenians. They imagined that in case they should be suffered to complete their wall, it would be impossible for the Athenians to make any farther progress in their work: or that, should they endeavour to prevent it, it would be sufficient for the Syracusans to oppose them with a part of their forces, after having shut up such avenues as were most accessible, with strong palisades; and that the Athenians, on the contrary, would be obliged to send for all their forces, and entirely abandon their works. Accordingly they came out of their city, and working with inexpressible ardour, they began to raise a wall; and, in order to carry it on with less molestation, they covered it with strong palisades, and flanked it with wooden towers, at proper distances, to defend it. The Athenians suffered the Syracusans to carry on their works undisturbed, because, had they marched only part of their troops against them, they would have been too weak; and if they had brought them all, they then must have been obliged to discontinue their works, which they had resolved not to do. The work being completed, the Syracusans left a body of troops to defend the palisade and guard the wall, and then returned into the city. In the mean time the Athenians cut off the canals by which water was conveyed into the city; and observing that the Syracusan soldiers, who had been left to guard the wall, were very negligent in their dutysome returning at noon either into the city or their tents, and the rest not keeping a proper guard-they detached 300 chosen soldiers, and some light infantry, to attack this post; during which the rest of the army marched towards the city, to prevent any succours from coming out of it. Accordingly, the 300 soldiers having forced the palisade, pursued those who guarded it as far as that part of the city wall which covered Temenites, where, pouring in indiscriminately with them, they were repulsed by the inhabitants with loss. The whole army afterwards demolished the wall, pulled down the palisades of the intrenchment, and carried them off. After the success whereby the Athenians were masters of the northern parts, they began, the very next day, a still more important work, and which would quite finish their inclosure of the city; viz. to carry a wall from the hills of Epipolæ, westward, through the plain and the fens, as far as the great harbour. To prevent this, the besieged, beginning the same kind of work as they had carried on on the other side, ran a trench, lined with palisades, from the city through the fens, to prevent the Athenians from carrying their contravallation as far as the sea: but the latter, after finishing the first part of the wall on the hills of Epipolæ, resolved to attack this new work. For this purpose, they ordered their fleet to sail from Thapsus to the great harbour of Syracuse; for it had hitherto continued in that road; and the besieged had always the sea open to them, by which the besiegers were obliged to get their provisions from Thapsus by land. The Athenians came down therefore from Epipolæ into the plain before day-break, when, throwing planks and beams in that part where the fens were only slimy and more firm than in other places, they immediately carried the greatest part of the fosse lined with palisades, and then the rest, after having beaten the Syracusans, who gave way and retired; such as were on the right towards the city, and the rest towards the river. Three hundred chosen Athenians having attempted to cut off the passage of the latter, flew towards the bridge; but the enemy's cavalry, the greatest part of which were drawn up in battle, repulsed them; and afterwards charged the right wing of the Athenians, and put the first battalions into disorder. Lamachus, perceiving this from the left wing, where he commanded, ran thither with the Argives and some archers; but having passed a trench, and being abandoned by his soldiers, he was killed with five or six who had followed him. The enemy immediately passed the river, and seeing the | SECTION XIII.-THE SYRACUSANS RESOLVE TO CArest of the army come up, they retired. At the same time their right wing, which had returned towards the city, resumed courage from this success, and drew up in order of battle before the Athenians; after having detached some troops to attack the fort on the hills of Epipolæ, which served as a magazine to the enemy, and was thought to be unguarded. They forced an intrenchment that covered the fort, but Nicias saved it. He had remained in this fort, in consequence of illness, and was at that time in his bed, with only his domestics about him. Animated by the danger and the presence of the enemy, he struggles with his indisposition; rises up, and commands his servants to set fire immediately to all the timber lying between the intrenchment and the fort for the military engines, and to the engines themselves. This unexpected conflagration stopped the Syracusans, saved Nicias, the fort, and all the rich effects of the Athenians, who made haste to the relief of that general. At the same time, the fleet was seen sailing into the great harbour, according to the orders given for that purpose. The Syracusans having perceived this from the hill, and fearing they should be attacked from behind, and overpowered by the troops which were about to land, retired, and returned to the city with all their forces; now no longer expecting, after having lost their fosse lined with palisades, that it would be possible for them to prevent the enemy from carrying on their contravallation as far as the sea. In the mean time, the Athenians, who had contented themselves with building a single wall on the hills of Epipole, and through such places as were craggy and of difficult access, being come down into the plain, began to build, at the foot of the hills, a double wall, intending to carry it as far as the sea; viz. a wall of contravallation against the besieged, and another of eircumvallation against those Syracusan troops which were out of the city, and such ailies as might come to its aid. : PITULATE, BUT gylippus's ARRIVAL CHANGES THE Ninteenth year of the War. THE fortifications of the Athenians were now almost completed; and they had drawn a double wall, near half a league in length, along the plain and the fens towards the great port, and had almost reached it. There now remained, on the side towards Trogilus, only a small part of the wall to be finished. The Syracusans were therefore on the brink of ruin, and had themselves, and did not expect any succours. For no hopes left, as they were no longer able to defend this reason they resolved to surrender. Accordingly, a council was held to settle articles of capitulation, in order to present them to Nicias; and several were of opinion, that it would be proper to capitulate soon, before the city should be entirely invested. It was at that very instant, and in the most critical juncture, that an officer, Gongylus by name, arrived from Corinth, on board a ship with three benches of oars. At his arrival, all the citizens flocked round him. He informed them, that Gylippus would be with them immediately, and was followed by a great many other galleys, which were coming to their aid. The Syracusans, astonished, or rather stupified, as it were, with this news, could scarce believe what they heard. Whilst they were thus fluctuating and in doubt, a courier arrived from Gylippus to inform them of his approach, and order them to march out all their troops to meet him. He himself, after having taken a fort in his way,2 marched in order of battle directly for Epipole : and ascending by Euryelus, as the Athenians had done, he prepared to attack them from without, whilst the Syracusans should charge them, on their side, with the forces of Syracuse and his. The Athenians, exceedingly surprised at his arrival, drew up hastily, and without order, under the walls. With regard to himself, laying down his arms when he approached, he sent word by a herald, that he would allow the Athenians five days to leave Sicily. Nicias did not condescend to make the least answer to this proposal; and some of his soldiers bursting out a laughing, asked the herald, "Whether the presence of a Lacedæmonian cloak, and a trifling wand, could make any change in the present state of the city ?" Both sides therefore prepared for battle. From thenceforward Nicias, who was now sole general, conceived great hopes for several cities of Sicily, which hitherto had not declared for either side, came and joined him; and there arrived from all quarters vessels laden with provisions for his army, all parties being eager to go over to him because he had acquired the superiority, and been exceedingly successful in all his undertakings. The Syracusans, seeing themselves blocked up both by sea and land, Gylippus stormed the fort of Lebdalon, and cut to and losing all hopes of being able to defend their city pieces all who were found in it. The same day an any longer, already proposed an accommodation. Athenian galley was taken, as it sailed into the harGylippus, who was coming from Lacedæmon to their bour. The besieged afterwards drew a wall from the assistance, having heard, on his passage, the extremity city, towards Epipola, in order to cut (about the exto which they were reduced, and looking upon the tremity of it) the single wall of the Athenians; and whole island as lost, sailed forward nevertheless; not to deprive them of all communication with the troops with the view of defending Sicily, but only of pre- that were posted in the intrenchments which surserving to the nations of Italy such cities as were sub-rounded the city on the north side towards Tyche and ject to them in that island, if it were not too late, and if Trogylus. The Athenians, after having finished the this could be done. For fame had declared, in all places wall, which extended as far as the sea towards the that the Athenians had already possessed themselves great harbour, were returned to the hills. Gylippus of the whole island; and were headed by a general, perceiving, in the single wall which the Athenians had whose wisdom and good fortune rendered him invinci- built on the hills of Epipola, one part that was weaker ble. Nicias himself, now (contrary to his natural dis- and lower than the rest, marched thither in the night position) confiding in his own strength, and elate from with his troops; but being discovered by the Athenians, his success, persuaded also by the secret advices which who were encamped without, he was forced to retire, were brought him daily from Syracuse, and the mes upon seeing them advance directly towards him. They sengers who were sent to him, that the eity would raised the wall higher, and themselves undertook the immediately capitulate, did not regard Gylippus's ap-guard of it, after having fixed their allies in the several proach, and in consequence took no precautions to prevent his landing, especially when he heard that he brought but very few vessels; terming him a trifling pirate, not worthy, in any manner, of his notice. But a general ought to be extremely careful not to abate his cares and vigilance upon account of success, because the least negligence may ruin every thing. Had Nicias sent the smallest detachment to oppose Gy. fippus's landing, he would have taken Syracuse, and the whole affair had been ended. posts of the remainder of the intrenchment. Nicias, on the other side, thought proper to fortify the cape of Plemmyrium, which, by its running into the sea, straitened the mouth of the great harbour; and his design thereby was, to procure provisions, and all other things he might want, the more easily; be 1 Thucyd, L. vii, p. 485-489. Plut. in Nic. p. 535, 536. Diod. 1. xiii. p. 138, 139. Jeges cause the Athenians, by possessing themselves of that post, drew near the little port, wherein lay the chief naval forces of the Syracusans, and were the better able to observe their various motions; and that besides, by having the sea open, they would not be forced to have all their provisions from the bottom of the great harbour; as they must have been, should the enemy, by seizing on the mouth of it, oblige them to keep close in the harbour, in the manner they then did. For Nicias, since the arrival of Gylippus, had had no hopes left but from the side next the sea. Sending therefore his fleet and part of his troops thither, he built three forts, sheltered by which his ships were enabled to lie at anchor; he also secured there a great part of the baggage and ammunition. It was then that the troops on board the fleet suffered very much; for as they were obliged to go a great way to fetch wood and water, they were surrounded by the enemy's horse, the third part of which were posted at Olympia, to prevent the garrison of Plemmyrium from sallying, and were masters of the open country. Advice being brought to Nicias, that the Corinthian fleet was advancing, he sent twenty galleys against it; ordering them to observe the enemy towards Locris, Rhegium, and the rest of the avenues of Sicily. In the mean time, Gylippus employing those very stones which the Athenians had got together for their own use, went on with the wall which the Syracusans had began to carry through Epipole; and drew up daily in battle array before it, as did the Athenians. When he saw it was a proper time for engaging, he began the battle in the spot lying between the two walls. The narrowness of it having rendered his cavalry and archers useless, he came off with loss, and the Athenians set up a trophy. Gylippus, to reanimate his soldiers by doing them justice, had the courage to reproach himself for the ill success they had met with: and to declare publicly, that he, not they, had occasioned the late defeat; because he had made them fight in too confined a spot of ground. However, he promised to give them soon an opportunity of recovering both their honour and his : and accordingly the very next day he led them against the enemy, after having exhorted them in the strongest terms, to behave in a manner worthy of their ancient glory. Nicias perceiving, that though he should not desire to come to a battle, it would however be absolutely necessary for him to prevent the enemy from extending their wall beyond the wall of contravallation, to which they were already very near (because otherwise this would be granting them a certain victory ;) he therefore marched against the Syracusans. Gylyppus brought up his troops beyond the spot where the walls terminated on both sides, in order that he might leave the more room to extend his battle; when charging the enemy's left wing with his horse, he put it to flight, and soon after defeated the right. We see here what the experience and abilities of a great captain are capable of producing; for Gylippus, with the same men, the same arms, the same horses, and the same ground, by only changing his order of battle, defeated the Athenians, and beat them quite to their camp. The following night, the victors carried on their wall beyond the contravallation of the Athenians, and thereby deprived them of all hopes of being ever able to surround them. After this success, the Syracusans, to whose aid the Corinthian fleet was arrived unperceived by that of the Athenians, resumed courage, armed several galleys; and marching into the plains with their cavalry and other forces, took a great number of prisoners. They sent deputies to Lacedæmonia and Corinth, to desire a reinforcement; Gylippus went in person through all the cities of Sicily, to solicit them to join him and brought over the greatest part of them, who accordingly sent him powerful succours. 1 Thucyd. L. vii. p. 490-494, Plut, in Nic. p. 536. Diod. 1 xiii. p. 139. Nicias, finding his troops lessen and those of the enemy increase daily, began to be discouraged; and not only sent expresses to the Athenians, to acquaint them with the situation of affairs, but likewise wrote to them in the strongest terms. I shall repeat his whole letter, both as it gives a clear and exact account of the state of things at that time in Syracuse, and may serve as a model for such kind of relations. "Athenians: I have already informed you, by several expresses, of what was passing here: but it is necessary you should know the present situation of affairs, that you may resolve accordingly. After we had been victorious in several engagements, and had almost completed our contravallation, Gylippus arriv ed in Syracuse with a body of Lacedæmonians and Sicilian troops; and, having been defeated the first time, he was victorious the second, by means of his cavalry and archers. We are in consequence shut up in our intrenchments, without daring to make any attempt, and unable to complete our works, through the superiority of the enemy's forces; for part of our soldiers are employed in guarding our forts, and consequently we have not an opportunity of employing all our forces in battle. Besides, as the Syracusans have cut our lines, by a wall, in that part where they were not complete, it will no longer be possible for us to surround the city, unless we should force their intrenchments; so that instead of besieging, we ourselves are besieged, and dare not stir out, for fear of their horse. "Not contented with these advantages, they are bringing new succours from Peloponnesus, and have sent Gylippus to force all the neutral cities of Sicily to declare for them; and the rest to furnish them with men and ships, to attack us both by sea and land. I say by sea, which, though very surprising, is however but too true. For our fleet, which before was considerable, from the good condition of the galleys and mariners, is now very deficient in those very circumstances, and prodigiously weakened. "Our galleys leak every where; because we cannot draw them on shore to careen them, for fear, lest those of the enemy, which are more numerous and in better condition than ours, should attack us on a sudden, which they seem to threaten every moment. Besides, we are under a necessity of sending many backwards and forwards, to guard the convoys which we are forced to fetch from a great distance, and bring along in the sight of the enemy; so that should we be ever so little negligent in this point, our army would be starved. "With regard to the ships' crews, they decrease sensibly every day; for as great numbers of them disperse to maraud, or to fetch wood and water, they are often cut to pieces by the enemy's horse. Our slaves, allured by the neighbourhood of the enemy's camp, desert very fast to it. The foreigners whom we forced into the service, disband daily; and such as have been raised with money, who came for plunder rather than fighting, finding themselves baulked, go over to the enemy, who are so near us, or else hide themselves in Sicily, which they may easily do in so large an island. A great number of citizens, though long used to, and well skilled in, working of ships, by bribing the captains, have put others in their room, who are wholly unexperienced, and incapable of serving, and by that means have subverted all discipline. I am now writing to men perfectly well versed in naval affairs; and who are very sensible, that, when order is neglected, every thing grows worse and worse, and a fleet must inevitably be ruined. "But the most unhappy circumstance is, that, though I am invested with the authority of general, I cannot put a stop to these disorders. For (Athenians) you are very sensible, that such is your disposi tion, that you do not easily brook restraint; besides, I do not know where to furnish myself with seamen, whilst the enemy get numbers from all quarters. It is not in the power of our Sicilian allies to aid us; and should the cities of Italy, from whence we have our provisions (hearing the extremity to which we are reduced, and that you do not take the least care to send us any succour,) join the Syracusans, we are undone; and the enemy will have no occasion to fight us. "I could write of things which would be more agreeable, but of none that could be more proper to give you a just idea of the subjects on which you are to deliberate. I am sensible that you love to have such advices only sent you as are pleasing; but then I know on the other side, that when affairs turn out otherwise than you expected and hoped for, you accuse those who deceived you; which has induced me to give you a sincere and genuine account of things, without concealing a single circumstance. By the way, I am to inform you, that no complaints can be justly made either against the officers or common soldiers, both having done their duty very well. ens being now become a kind of frontier town; for in the day-time, a guard was mounted at all the gates; and in the night, all the citizens were either on the walls, or under arms. Such vessels as brought provisions from the island of Euboea, and which before had a much shorter passage by Decelia, were forced to go round about, in order to double the cape of Sunium; by which means, provisions, as well as goods imported, grew much dearer. To heighten the calamity, upwards of 20,000 slaves, the greatest part of whom were artificers, went over to the enemy, to fly from the extreme misery with which the city was afflicted. The cattle of all kinds died. Most of the horses were lamed, being continually upon guard, or upon parties. Every thing being laid waste in this manner, and the Athenians enjoying no longer the revenues which arose from the produce of their lands, there was a prodigious scarcity of money; so that they "But now that the Sicilians are joining all their were forced to take the twentieth part of all the imforces against us, and expect a new army from Pelo-ports, to supply their usual subsidies. ponnesus; you may lay this down as the foundation for your deliberations, that our present troops are not sufficient; and, therefore, we either must be recalled, or else a land and naval force, equal to the first, must be sent us, with money in proportion. You must also think of appointing a person to succeed me; it being impossible for me, through my nephritic disorder, to sustain any longer the weight of the command. I imagine that I deserve this favour at your hands, on account of the services I have done you, in the several commands conferred upon me, so long as my health would permit me to act. "To conclude: whatever resolutions you may come to, the request I have to make, is, that you would execute it speedily, and in the very beginning of the spring. The succours which our enemies meet with in Sicily, are all ready; but those which they expect from Peloponnesus may be longer in coming. However, fix this in your minds, that if you do not exert yourselves, the Lacedæmonians will not fail, as they have already done, to be beforehand with you." The Athenians were strongly affected with this letter, which made as great an impression on them as Nicias expected. However, they did not think proper to appoint him a successor; and only nominated two officers who were under him, viz. Menander and Euthydemus, to assist him till other generals should be sent. Eurymedon and Demosthenes were chosen to succeed Lamachus and Alcibiades. The former set out immediately with ten galleys, and some money, about the winter solstice, to assure Nicias that a speedy succour should be sent him: during which, the latter was raising troops and contributions, in order to set sail early in the spring. The Lacedæmonians,2 on the A. M. 3591. other side, being supported by the Ant. J. C.413. Corinthians, were very industrious in preparing reinforcements to send into Sicily, and to enter Attica, in order to keep the Athenian fleet from sailing to that island. Accordingly they entered Attica early, under the command of king Agis; and after having laid waste the country, they fortified Decelia; having divided the work among all the forces, to make the greater despatch. This post is about 120 furlongs from Athens, that is, about six French leagues, and the same distance from Baotia. Alcibiades was perpetually soliciting the Lacedæmonians; and could not be easy, till he had prevailed with them to begin that work. This annoyed the Athenians most of all: for as hitherto the enemy had been accustomed to retire after they had laid waste the Athenian territories, the latter were unmolested all the rest of the year; but since the fortifying of Decelia, the garrison left in it was continually making incursions, and alarming the Athenians, Ath In the mean time,3 Gylippus, who had made the tour of Sicily, returned with as many men as he could raise in the whole island; and prevailed with the Syracusans to fit out the strongest fleet in their power, and to hazard a battle at sea, upon the presumption that the success would answer the greatness of the enterprise. This advice was strongly enforced by Hermocrates, who exhorted the Syracusans not to abandon to their enemies the empire of the seas. He observed, that the Athenians themselves had not received it from their ancestors, nor been always possessed of it: that the Persian war had in a manner forced them into the knowledge of naval affairs, notwithstanding two great obstacles, their natural dispasition, and the situation of their city, which stood at a considerable distance from the sea: that they had made themselves formidable to other nations, not so much by their real strength, as by their courage and intrepidity: that they ought to copy them; and since they had to do with enemies who were so enterprising, it was fit they should be daring. This advice was approved, and accordingly a large fleet was equipped. Gylippus led out all his land forces in the night-time, to attack the forts of Plemmyrium. Thirty-five Syracusan galleys which were in the great harbour, and forty-five in the lesser, where was an arsenal for ships, were ordered to advance towards Plemmyrium, to amaze the Athenians, who would see themselves attacked both by sea and land at the same time. The Athenians, at this news, went on board also; and, with twenty-five ships, sailed to fight the thirty-five Syracusan vessels which were sailing out against them from the great barbour; and opposed thirty-five more to the forty-five of the enemy, which were come out of the little port. A sharp engagement was fought at the mouth of the great harbour; one party endeavouring to force their way into it, and the other to keep them out. Those who defended the forts of Plemmyrium having flocked to the shore to view the battle, Gylippus attacked the forts unexpectedly by day-break; and having carried the greatest of them by storm, the soldiers who defended the other two were so terrified, that they abandoned them in a moment. After this advantage the Syracusans sustained a considerable loss: for such of their vessels as fought at the entrance of the harbour (after having forced the Athenians) ran foul of one another with much violence as they entered it in disorder; and by this means transferred the victory to their enemies, who were not contented with pursuing, but also gave chase to those who were victorious in the great harbour. Eleven Syracusan galleys were sunk, and great numbers of the sailors in them killed. Three were taken; but the Athenians likewise lost three, and after towing off those of the enemy, they raised a trophy in a Thucyd. l. vii. p. 497–500. Plut, in Nic. p. 536. Diod p. 140. little island that lay before Plemmyrium, and retired | whilst the troops of Olympia marched towards the to the shelter of their camp. other, and their galleys set sail. The Syracusans also raised three trophies for their taking of the three forts; and after raising one of the smaller, they repaired the fortifications of the other two, and put garrisons into them. Several Athenians had been either killed or made prisoners there; and great sums of money were taken, the property of the public, as well as of merchants and captains of galleys, besides a large quantity of ammunition; this being a kind of magazine for the whole army. They likewise lost the stores and rigging of forty galleys, with three ships that lay in the dock. But a more considerable circumstance was, Gylippus thereby prevented Nicias from getting provisions and ammunitions so easily; for, whilst the latter was possessed of Plemmyrium, these were procured securely and expeditiously; whereas, after that place was lost, it was equally difficult and hazardous, because they could not bring in any thing without fighting; the enemy lying at anchor just off their fort. Thus the Athenians could have no provisions but from the point of their swords; which dispirited the soldiers very much, and thew the whole army into a great consternation. There afterwards was a little skirmish in defending a staccado which the inhabitants had made in the sea, at the entrance of the whole harbour to secure the shipping. The Athenians having raised towers and parapets on a large ship, made it advance as near as possible to the staccado, in order that it might serve as a bulwark to some ships which carried military engines, with which they drew up the stakes by the help of pulleys and ropes, exclusive of those which the divers sawed in two; the besieged defending themselves from their harbour, and the enemies from their tower. Such stakes as had been driven in, level with the surface of the water, in order to strand those vessels that should come near them, were the hardest to force away. The divers, however, being induced by large sums of money, succeeded in removing these also, and most of the stakes were torn up; but then others were immediately driven in their places. The utmost efforts were used on both sides, in the attack as well as the defence. One circumstance which the besieged considered of the greatest importance,2 was to attempt a second engagement both by sea and land, before the fleet, and other succours sent by the Athenians, should arrive. They had concerted fresh measures for a battle at sea, profiting by the errors they had committed in the last engagement. The change made in the galleys was, their prows were now shorter, and at the same time stronger and more solid than before. For this purpose, they fixed great pieces of timber, projecting forward, on each side of the prows; and to these pieces they joined beams by way of props. These beams extended to the length of six cubits on each side of the vessel, both within and without. By this they hoped to gain the advantage over the galleys of the Athenians, which did not dare, because of the weakness of their prows, to attack an enemy in front, but only in flank; not to mention that should the battle be fought in the harbour, they would not have room to spread themselves nor to pass between two galleys, in which lay their greatest art; nor to tack about, after they should have been repulsed, in order to return to the charge; whereas the Syracusans, by their being masters of the whole extent of the harbour, would have all these advantages and might reciprocally assist one another. On these circumstances the latter founded their hopes of victory. Gylippus therefore first drew all the infantry out of the camp, and advanced towards that part of the contravallation of the Athenians which faced the city; Nicias was unwilling to venture a second battle, saying, that as he expected a fresh fleet every moment, and a strong reinforcement under Demosthenes, it would betray the greatest want of judgment should he, as his troops were inferior in number to those of the enemy, and already fatigued, hazard a battle without being forced to it.. On the contrary, Menander and Euthydemus, who had just before been appointed to share the command with Nicias till the arrival of Demosthenes, fired with ambition, and jealous of those generals, were eager to perform some great exploit, to bereave the one of his glory, and, if possible, eclipse that of the other. The pretence they alleged on this occasion, was, the fame and reputation of Athens; and they asserted with so much vehemence, that it would be entirely destroyed should they shun the battle, as the Syracusans offered it them, that they at last forced Nicias to a compliance. The Athenians had seventy five galleys, and the Syracusans eighty. The first day the fleets continued in sight of each other, in the great harbour, without engaging and only a few skirmishes passed, after which both parties retired; and it was just the same with the landforces. The Syracusans did not make the least movement the second day. Nicias, taking advantage of this inactivity, caused the transports to draw up in a line, at some distance from one another, in order that his galleys might retire behind them with safety, in case of a defeat. On the morrow, the Syracusans came up sooner than usual, when a great part of the day was spent in skirmishing, after which they retired. The Athenians did not suppose they would return, but imagined that fear had made them fly: but having refreshed themselves with great diligence, and returning on board their galleys, they attacked the Athenians, who were far from expecting them. The latter being now forced to return immediately on board their ships, they entered them in great disorder, so that they had not time to draw them up in a line of battle, and most of the sailors were fasting. Victory did not long continue in suspense. The Athenians, after making a short and slight resistance, retired behind their line of transports. The enemy pursued them thither, and were stopped by the sailyards of those ships, to which were fixed dolphins of lead,3 which being very heavy, had they fallen on the enemy's galleys, would have sunk them at once. The Athenians lost seven galleys in this engagement, and a great number of soldiers were either killed or taken prisoners. This loss threw Nicias into the utmost consternation.4 All the misfortunes he had met with, ever since the time he had first enjoyed the supreme command, came into his mind; and he now is involved in a greater than any of them, by his complying with the advice of his colleagues. Whilst he was revolving these gloomy ideas, Demosthenes's fleet was seen coming forward in great pomp, and with such an air as must fill the enemy with dread: it was now the day after the battle. This fleet consisted of seventy-three galleys, on board of which were 5000 fighting men, and about 3000 archers, slingers, and bowmen. All these galleys were richly trimmed; their prows being adorned with shining streamere, manned with stout rowers, commanded by good offi cers, and echoing with the sound of clarions and trumpets; Demosthenes having affected an air of pomp and triumph, purposely to strike terror into the enemy. This gallant sight alarmed them indeed beyond expression. They did not see any end, or even the This engine, so violent was its motion, broke through |